Medicinal preparation



Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM A. IBENDER ANDHUGO G. LOESCH, .OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS, BY MENE ASSIGNMENTS,TO GENERAL FOODS CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE MEDICINALPREPARATION No Drawing.

This invention relates to medicinal preparations and, moreparticularly,-to medicinal oil preparations adapted to be takeninternally as laxatives, one object of the invention being to provide animproved preparation of this nature having the bland and nonirritatingpurging qualities characteristic of castor oil, combined with thelubricating qualities of a mineral oil, such a petrolatum liquidum, andthus adapted to be frequently used Without the constipating and otherunfavorable after effects of castor oil. Another object is to provide ahomogeneous, stable compound of the character described comprising amixture of castor oil and mineral oil in the form of a permanentemulsion. A further object is to provide a simple and practical methodfor producing a stable, homogeneous mixture of normally immiscible oils,such as castor oil and mineral oil, for affording the product desired. 7

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being a pointed out in the claims at theend of the specification.

The mventlon comprises in the present 1nstance a mixture of castor oiland petrolatum liquidum in a stable, homogeneous emulsion.

, Castor oil, as is well known, is the blandest and least irritatingpurge, but a disadvantage in its use resides in the fact that it tendsto product hemorrhoids if used constantly and also in the fact that itsfrequent use or even .a single dose is generally followed by constipation, so that the dose must be rapidly increased in size to beeffective. This militates against the frequent use of castor oil in thetreatment of constipation;

Mineral oil is now sold on the market under various names and is usedinternally and regularly as a lubricant to promote normal bowelactivity. In has been found that a combination of this oil with castoroil affords a compound which combines the beneficial 1 properties ofboth oils without the unfavorable after efl'ects of castor oil, and thatsuch normally immiscible oils may nevertheless be combined in a stable,homogeneous compound Application filed October 27, 1924. Serial No.746,214.

in any suitable proportions adapted to the results desired. 4

Castor oil and mineral oil, however, do not mix freely and it isimpossible by any of the usual methods to prepare a mixture of'the twooils that will not separate. Thus if quantities of these two oils beplaced in the same container and agitated or shaken, they refuse to mixand shortly separate into definite layers, the heavier castor oilsinking to the bottom and the mineral oil separating out and collectingabove it. These two oils are thus substantially immiscible in oneanother. It has been found, however, that a homogene ous mixture ofthese two oils in any proportions can be effected by emulsification. Theemulsions of these oils in any suitable relative proportions blendperfectly to form a stable, homogeneous emulsion, the word emulsionbeing used herein in the sense of what is known as on oil-inwateremulsion.

The emulsification of oil involves the very fine dispersion of the oilin Water, generally effected or stabilized through the use of somecolloid. Gum acacia has been generally used in the pharmaceuticalart asan emulsifying agent although other such agents have been and are used.The emulsification of oil through the use of jellifying pectin as anemulsifying agent is described and claimed in the Letters Patent toRobert Douglas and Hugo G. Loesch, No. 1,625,641, dated April 19, 1927,for emulsification of oils, and the same method of emulsification ispreferably employed in the present invention.

Such emulsification of an oil can be quickly obtained by adding slowlywith constant stirring and mixing with one part, say, of a 5% solutionof pectin in water, 1 to 4 or more parts of the oil according to thecharacter of the emulsion desired, whereupon the emulsion immediatelybegins to form on the first addition of the oil and continues to do soand to thicken to a firm stable emulsion. A more or less concentratedsolution of pectin may be employed and'the emulsion may be thinned withwater as conditions may require. v

The combining of the ingredients can be carriedout in several ways.Thus, for example, the emulsion of each oil can be prepared as describedand the emulsions then mixed together. Or, the two oils can be runsimultaneously in separate streams into the emulsifying agent withconstant stirring, the final product being a homogeneous stable emulsionof both oils. One oil, however, can be mixed with the emulsifying agentand the second oil then added and emulsified in this emulsion. It isalso practical to continuously stir the two-oils in a containerto form acrude temporary mixture which is run into the emulsifying solution andemulsified. The

resulting stable homogeneous emulsion can be flavored and sweetened totaste if desired.

Thus the emulsification method described affords a stable mixture ofcastor and mineral oils in which the two are permanently andhomogeneously blended and remain so as the product combines thebeneficial effect of both oils with the great additional advantage thatthe presence of the mineral oil prevents the constipating and other evilafter-effects of the castor oil and thus permits the compound to be usedfrequently or in small daily doses in the treatment of constipationwithout injurious results. The castor oil, being'finely subdivided inthe emulsion, is quickly digested and effects its purging action, whilethe non-digestible mineral oil retains in its emulsified condition itsfull mechanical value as a lubricant in its passage through thealimentary canal. The relative degree of the lubricating and purgingeffects of this compound can be controlled by varying the relativeproportions of the two oils used in the emulsion which may be flavoredand sweetened to taste if desired.

We claim as our invention:

1. A pharmaceutical preparation comprising a homogeneous mixture ofcastor oil and a mineral oil in suitable proportions with an emulsifyingingredient.

2. A homogeneous mixture of castor oil and petrolatum liquidum insuitable proportions and in emulsion form with jellifying pectin as astabilizing ingredient.

3. The process of preparing a stable homogeneous mixture of castor oiland a mineral oil consisting in combining the said oils byemulsification with a suitable emulsifying ingredient.

4. The process of preparing a stable homogeneous mixture of castor oiland petrolatum liquidum consisting in combining the said oils insuitable proportions by emulsification with jellifying pectin as anemulsifying ingredient.

WILLIAM A. BENDER. HUGO G. LOESOH.

